Lighthouses of Southern Portugal

Portugal has a distinguished maritime history: Portuguese
sailors launched and led the European age of discovery, and Portuguese
ships have been finding their way home from the far corners of the globe
for about 600 years. It's not surprising that lighthouses have played
an important role in Portuguese culture, and that they are treasured national
monuments today.

This page has information on the lighthouses of the southern part of
the Portuguese mainland, from the Lisbon area southward. Lighthouses
north of the Lisbon area are on the Northern
Portugal page. Lighthouses of the Azores and Madeira (islands
discovered and settled by the early Portuguese explorers) are also on
separate pages.

The Portuguese word for a lighthouse is farol, plural faróis.
Lighthouses in Portugal are owned by the navy (Marinha
de Portugal) and operated by the navy's lighthouse directorate (Direcção
de Faróis). Generally this has meant that lighthouses were closed to the public, but in November 2011 it was announced that the six historic lighthouses of the Algarve would be open every Wednesday afternoon year round. In 2013, the Navy extended the Wednesday open-house program nationwide.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS
World List of Lights. PT numbers are from the Portuguese
Navy list, as recorded by the Admiralty of Portuguese Wikipedia. Admiralty numbers
are from volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog
Signals. U.S.
NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.

Portuguese Wikipedia article on the country's lighthouses. Near the
bottom of the page are links to pages for the individual lighthouses.
The photos are also available in Wikimedia's Lighthouses
in Portugal category.

1923. Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); white flash every 6.5 s. 46 m (151
ft) round concrete (?) tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-story
keeper's complex. Lighthouse is white with narrow black horizontal bands;
lantern painted red. Marc Ryckaert's photo is at right, Carlos Olmo has a great photo,
Trabas also has an excellent closeup photo,
Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a street view and a satellite
view. This lighthouse marks the entrance to the Rio Guadiana, which forms
the border between Portugal and Spain. Located on the west side of the river,
on the Estrada da Mata, in Vila Real de Santo António. Site open, tower
open Wednesday afternoons. ARLHS POR-057; PT-590; Admiralty D2246; NGA 3816.

1996 (reconstruction of 1851 lighthouse). Active; focal plane 50
m (164 ft); four white flashes every 17 s. 46 m (151 ft) round concrete
tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story circular masonry
base, attached by an enclosed corridor to a large 1-story keeper's
complex. Lighthouse is white, lantern red. Osvaldo Gago's photo is
at right, Wikimedia has additional photos, Marinas.com has aerial
photos, Huelse has a postcard
view of the original lighthouse, and Google has a great satellite
view. The height of the tower was increased from 34 m (112 ft)
in 1922. This led to an instability in the tower, so in 1929 the lighthouse
was "consolidated" with the robust concrete form seen today.
The extent of the "consolidation" is not clear; it may be
that most of the original lighthouse was demolished and replaced by
a new tower built on the 2-story base of the original. In 1995-96
there was a second consolidation which included replacement of the
lantern. Cabo de Santa Maria is the southernmost point of Portugal,
at the edge of an extensive area of dunes, marshes, and channels incorporated
in a national park, the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa. Located on
a barrier island on the east side of the entrance to the channel leading
to Faro, about 12 km (7.5 mi) southeast of the city. Accessible only
by boat; tours to the area are available. Site open, tower open Wednesday afternoons.
ARLHS POR-041; PT-505; Admiralty D2206; NGA 3724.

* Faro Range Front

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red flash every
3 s. 6 m (20 ft) light mounted atop a factory building. Trabas has
a photo.
According to the Admiralty, the building is the Fábrica Fritz. Located
somewhere on the waterfront of Faro. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty
PT-512; D2214.

* Faro Range Rear

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 63 m (207 ft); red light occulting
once every 6 s. 21 m (69 ft) square concrete church tower with a light
mounted at the top. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view.
Located at the church of Santo António do Alto in Faro. Site
open, tower closed. PT-513; Admiralty D2214.1.

Loulé Lighthouses

* Esporão East
Mole

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); green flash every 3 s. 6
m (20 ft) pentagonal tower with gallery, painted with green and white horizontal
bands. Trabas has a photo,
a 2006 photo is available, and Google has a satellite
view. Located at the end of a mole in Esporão, on the east side
of Quarteira. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-089; PT-495; Admiralty D2198.3.

Date unknown (around 2010). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 3 s. 6 m
(20 ft) round strongly conical tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal
bands. Trabas has a photo,
Rui Simão also has a photo,
and Google has a satellite
view. Located at the end of a mole in Quarteira, about 1.5 km (1 mi) east
of the Vilamoura Marina. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-096; PT-494; Admiralty
D2198.1.

* Vilamoura Marina East
Mole

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green flash every 4 s. 7
m (23 ft) round bluntly conical tower with gallery, painted with green and
white horizontal bands. Trabas has a photo,
a photo showing
both mole lights is available, and Google has a satellite
view. Located at the end of the mole on the east side of the entrance
to the Vilamoura Marina. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-083; PT-493; Admiralty D2197.4; NGA 3712.

* Vilamoura

Date unknown (modern). Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash
every 5 s. 16 m (52 ft) round concrete cylindrical control tower with
the light on a skeletal mast on the top. Trabas has a closeup,
Kit Goss has a 2012 photo, and Google has a satellite
view. The artificial harbor of Vilamoura, about 20 km (13 mi)
west of Faro, is probably the largest yacht harbor on the Algarve,
with over 100 berths. Located on the west side of the harbor, about
5 km (3 mi) south of the village of Vilamoura. Site open, tower closed.
ARLHS POR-041; PT-491; Admiralty D2197.2; NGA 3716.

* Vilamoura Marina West Mole

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red flash every
4 s. 7 m (23 ft) round bluntly conical tower with gallery, painted
with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a closeup photo,
2011 photo (misidentified as being at Quarteira) is available, another photo
is available, and Google has a satellite
view. Located at the end of the mole on the west side of the entrance
to the Vilamoura Marina. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-062; PT-492; Admiralty
D2197.3; NGA 3708.

1920. Active; focal plane 56 m (184 ft); two white flashes every
15 s. 23 m (75 ft) square masonry tower with lantern and gallery,
attached to the front of a 1-story keeper's complex. 3rd order Fresnel
lens in use. The faces of the tower are covered with white tiles;
lantern painted red. Larry Myhre's photo is at right, Rui Ornelas has a photo, Ricardo Santos has a photo of the lighthouse in action, Trabas has
an excellent photo,
Carlos Olmo also has a good photo,
and Google has a satellite
view. Located on a rocky promontory off the N530 highway about
15 km (9 mi) southeast of Lagoa. Site open, tower open Wednesday afternoons. ARLHS POR-001;
PT-478; Admiralty D2192; NGA 3684.

1893. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white light, 2 s on, 3 s off.
10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising
schoolhouse-style from the front of a 1-story masonry keeper's house. Building
painted white with red trim and a red tile roof; lantern painted red. Trabas
has an excellent photo,
Stefan Pajko has a 2007 photo,
and Google has a satellite
view. This is an unusual design for a Portuguese lighthouse. When C.W.
Bash visited this site in 2007, he photographed a new concrete communications
tower beside the lighthouse. Located on a promontory on the east side
of the entrance to the harbor of Portimão, about 7 km (4.5 mi) south
southeast of the city. Site open, tower open Wednesday afternoons. ARLHS POR-044; PT-475; Admiralty D2178;
NGA 3644.

* Portimão East Mole

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); green flash every 5 s. 7
m (23 ft) round bluntly conical tower with gallery, painted with green
and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a photo,
a 2012 photo is available, and Google has a satellite
view. Located at the end of the mole on the east side of the entrance
to Portimão harbor. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-092; PT-459; Admiralty
D2179.2; NGA 3652.

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red flash every 5 s. 7 m
(23 ft) round bluntly conical tower with gallery, painted with red and white
horizontal bands. Trabas has a photo,
and Google has a satellite view and Carlos Fonseca's street view. Located at the end of the mole on the west side of the entrance
to Portimão harbor. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-093; Admiralty
D2179; NGA 3648.

Lagos Lighthouses

* Lagos East Mole

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); green flash every
5 s. 6 m (20 ft) rectangular pyramidal concrete tower with gallery,
painted with green and white horizontal bands. Access to the gallery
is by steps cut into the slanted side of the tower. Trabas has a photo,
and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the mole on the east side of the entrance
to Lagos harbor. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-090; Admiralty
D2176; NGA 3632.

#Lagos West Mole (?)

Date unknown. Apparently removed in 2013. 7 m (23 ft) rectangular pyramidal concrete tower with gallery,
painted with red and white horizontal bands. Access to the gallery
is by steps cut into the slanted side of the tower. Trabas has a photo,
but Google's satellite
view confirms the removal of the light. The Admiralty reported the light as "temporarily extinguished" in August 2013 but restored in August 2014. Located at the end of the mole on the west side of the entrance
to Lagos harbor. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-091; PT-450; Admiralty
D2175; NGA 3628.

1913. Active; focal plane 51 m (167 ft); white flash every 7 s.
Approx. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower, attached to
the front of a 1-story masonry keeper's house. 4th order Fresnel lens
in use. The unpainted building is faced with yellow-brown tiles; lantern
painted red. Carlos Oliveira Reis's photo is at right, Trabas has
an excellent closeup photo,
a 2013 photo is available, Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a satellite
view. Located at the end of the N536 highway about 2.5 km (1.5
mi) south of Lagos. Site and tower open Wednesday afternoons (the station is fenced),
but the lighthouse can be viewed from nearby. ARLHS POR-042; PT-445;
Admiralty D2174; NGA 3624.

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white light, 2 s on, 3 s
off. Light in a small red lantern mounted near the top of a 1-story post office
building in Burgau. Trabas has a photo,
and Google has a satellite
view and a distant street view. Burgau is a former fishing village, now a popular beach resort.
Site open, building status unknown. Admiralty D2172.3; NGA 3623.

* Baleeira (Sagres Breakwater)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); flash every 4 s, white or
red depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) round tower, painted with horizontal
red and white bands. Trabas has a closeup photo,
Hugo Morgado Pereira has a 2007 closeup,
and Google has a satellite
view; the light is barely visible in a street view from the base of the pier. Located at the end of the breakwater on the west side of the bay
of Baleeira, the harbor of Sagres. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-066;
Admiralty D2171; NGA 3622.

1960 (station established 1894). Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); red
light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 13 m (43 ft) square concrete tower with lantern and
gallery, attached to a 1-story equipment building. The tower is unpainted
concrete; the lantern is white with a red roof. Trabas has a good photo,
Kay Schutte has a 2008 photo,
Huelse has an older black-and-white photo
of the present station, and Google has a good satellite
view. Huelse also has a postcard
view of the second (1923) lighthouse, which was located about 500 m (0.3
mi) north within the historic Fortaleza de Sagres. The building was demolished
after being replaced in 1960, but its foundation can be seen in a Google satellite
view. It was at his villa in Sagres that Henrique de Aviz (Prince Henry the Navigator)
planned explorations of the coast of West Africa,
thus powering the great Portuguese discoveries soon to come in Africa, Brazil
and the Orient. The town is on the east side of the Cabo de São Vicente,
sheltered by the long finger of the Ponta de Sagres. Located at the end of
the peninsula, about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Sagres. Accessible by road. Site
status unknown. ARLHS POR-043; PT-440; Admiralty D2170; NGA 3620.

1846 (extensively rebuilt 1908; station established around 1515).
Active; focal plane 86 m (282 ft); one quick white flash every 5 s.
28 m (92 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery,
rising from a 2- and 3-story keeper's complex. A hyper-radiant Fresnel
lens (larger than 1st order) has been in use since 1908. Light tower
is unpainted; lantern painted red; keeper's houses painted white with
red roofs. Fog horn (two 5 s blasts every 30 s). A
photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup photo,
Marjolein Vegers has a 2008 photo,
Andrey Kolganov has a closeup street view, Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a good satellite
view. This is one of the world's great lighthouses and Portugal's
most famous lighthouse. Cape St. Vincent is the traditional "land's
end" of Europe, the extreme southwesternmost point of the continent,
the essential landfall for sailors returning from Africa or the Orient.
Lights were shown from the Convent of São Vicente early in
the 1500s, but the convent and light tower were destroyed in a raid
by Sir Frances Drake in 1587. A new light tower was built in 1606.
The present lighthouse, placed in service in 1846, was poorly maintained
for many years. A large-scale reconstruction, ordered in 1897 and
completed in 1908, included the installation of one of the largest
Fresnel lenses ever built; only a handful of these great lenses remain
in service anywhere. The light was automated in 1982, but a small
staff remains on duty. Since the light station attracts thousands
of visitors annually, the navy has constructed a small visitor center
and museum on the site. Located atop spectacular cliffs at the point
of the cape, about 7 km (4.5 mi) west of Sagres. Site and museum open,
tower open Wednesday afternoons. ARLHS POR-012; PT-436; Admiralty D2168; NGA 3616.

1915. Active; focal plane 68 m (223 ft); three white flashes every
15 s. 17 m (56 ft) square masonry tower with lantern and gallery,
rising from the center of a long 1-story keeper's house. 2nd order
Fresnel lens in use. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Rodolfo Barros has a good photo, Trabas also has a nice photo,
Marinas.com has aerial
photos, Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The lighthouse marks the only major promontory on
the coast of the Beja district. Located atop vertical cliffs
just west of the village of Cavaleiro. Site open, lighthouse open on Wednesday afternoons.
ARLHS POR-014; PT-426; Admiralty D2164; NGA 3604.

* Milfontes
(Rio Mira)

Date unknown (modern). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white
flash every 3 s. 5 m (16 ft) building with a small square lantern
structure atop the front side. The building appears to be concrete
covered in part by white tiles. Trabas has a closeup photo,
and Google has a street view and a satellite view.
Located on the north side of the entrance to the Rio Mira in Vila
Nova de Milfontes. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-081; Admiralty
D2162; NGA 3600.

1880. Active; focal plane 56 m (184 ft); two white flashes every
15 s. 22 m (72 ft) round two-stage masonry tower with lantern and
two galleries, rising from the front center of a 2-story keeper's
complex. Building painted white; lantern and galleries painted red.
Rafael Anglada's photo is at right, Trabas has a good closeup photo,
Carlos Olmo also has a good photo,
Marinas.com has aerial
photos, Google has a distant street view, and Bing has a satellite
view. The upper stage of the light tower was added in 1980; the
lantern, which has a modern design, was probably installed at that
time also. Huelse has a postcard
view of the lighthouse without the extension and with the original lantern. The lighthouse is
now nearly surrounded by a large petroleum tank farm. Cabo de Sines
is a very prominent headland roughly 120 km (75 mi) south of Setúbal.
Located on the point of the cape, about 1.5 km (1 mi) west of the
town of Sines. Site open, lighthouse open on Wednesday afternoons. ARLHS POR-008; PT-401; Admiralty
D2160; NGA 3572.

1880 (station established 1775). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); red
light, 4 s on, 2 s off. 11 m (36 ft) hexagonal concrete tower with lantern
and double gallery. Building is unpainted white concrete with red trim; lantern
painted red. This unusual lighthouse is perched atop an old fortress, which
has been converted into a modern orthopedic hospital. Trabas has a good photo,
Gabriela Bruno has another fine photo, Alfonso Wilson has a 2007 closeup, Wikimedia has two photos, and Google has a street view and a satellite
view. Behind the building are the steep, forested hills of the Parque Natural
da Serra da Arrábida. The lighthouse marks the west side of the entrance
to the Rio Sado estuary and the harbor of Setúbal. Located on the coastal
road about 9 km (5.5 mi) west of Setúbal. Site open, tower closed.
Site manager: Hospital Ortopedico
Sant'Iago do Outão. ARLHS POR-033; Admiralty D2150; NGA 3556.

1896. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white light, 3 s on, 2
s off. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern
and gallery, painted bright red. 5th order Fresnel lens in use. A
photo is at right, Trabas has a good closeup,
Vasco Silva has a 2008 photo,
and Google has a satellite
view. This is a typical French prefabricated tourelle.
The lighthouse is built within the walls of the 17th century Forte
de São Teodósio da Ponta do Cavalo. A keeper's house
inside the fort is occupied by a resident caretaker. Located on the
Ponta do Cavalo, at the western entrance to the harbor of Sesimbra.
Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-021; PT-363; Admiralty D2140; NGA 3512.

1790. Active; focal plane 168 m (551 ft); white flash every 4 s. 31 m (102
ft) tapered hexagonal stone tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a
large 1-story keeper's complex. 4th order Fresnel lens in use. The lighthouse
is covered with white tiles except for unpainted stone trim; lantern roof
painted red. Fog horn (one 8 s blast every 31 s). Trabas has an excellent
photo, a
good 2007 photo
is available, F. Azevedo has a 2008 photo,
Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a satellite
view. Cabo Espichel is a very prominent cape about 27 km (17 mi) south
of the Tagus. Monks of the monastery of Nossa Senhora do Cabo (Our Lady of
the Cape) are said to have displayed navigational lights here as early as
the 15th century. Serving as a landfall light for Lisbon, the lighthouse was
long considered one of the more important in the country. The site is rather
isolated; the lighthouse was not electrified until 1989, and it is still staffed
by rotating crews of three keepers. Located atop a spectacular vertical cliff
about 11 km (7 mi) west of Sesimbra. Site open; lighthouse open on Wednesday afternoons. ARLHS POR-009; PT-360;
Admiralty D2139; NGA 3508.

1886. Inactive since 1978 (a low-intensity, decorative light is now
displayed). 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern
and gallery, painted red. Patrick Leroy's photo is at right, a July
2009 photo is
available, and Huelse has a historic postcard
view. This lighthouse appears to be a prefabricated French tourelle.
It was deactivated in May 1978 due to a reconstruction of port facilities
in Cacilhas. In 1983 the Navy relocated the lighthouse to Serrata on
the island of Terceira in the Azores. Residents of Cacilhas protested
this removal for many years, and their requests took hold after the
lighthouse was deactivated in Terceira in 2004. In 2007 the Navy agreed
to return the lighthouse, and on 18 July 2009 ceremonies were
held celebrating its reinstallation. As of June 2015, Google's June 2009 street view showed the lighthouse during the reinstallation process. André Pinho also has a good photo of
the lighthouse returned to its former home, Marco Balsinha has a closeup photo, and Bing has a satellite
view. The lighthouse was originally
painted black, as seen in Rosalie Beasley's 1964 photo,
and the current red color has led to some additional controversy in
Cacilhas. Located on the waterfront of Cacilhas, on the south side
of the Tejo (Tagus). Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-082.

1847. Inactive since 1945 at least. 30 m (98 ft) square
gothic stone tower rising from within a pentagonal stone fortress.
André Pipa has a good photo,
Mario Lapid has another photo,
and Google has a street view and a satellite
view. Completed in 1520, the Torre de Belém was part of the
16th century fortifications protecting Lisbon. In later years
it served as a prison and for many other purposes. In 1886 a
skeletal lighthouse with lantern and gallery was erected in
front of the gothic tower; Huelse has a historic postcard
view of this lighthouse. The light tower was removed, apparently in 1945, and the lantern was relocated to Santa Clara on the Ilha do São Miguel in the Azores.
The Torre was thoroughly restored during the mid 1990s and
is a popular tourist attraction in Lisbon. Located on the north
bank of the Tejo (Tagus) in the Belém neighborhood about 3
km (1.8 mi) west of the Ponte 25 de Abril. Site and tower open
daily except Mondays. ARLHS POR-068.

1995 (tower built 1857). Active; focal plane 154 m (505 ft); white
light, 3 s on, 3 s off, visible only along the line of the Barra
do Sul channel. 15 m (49 ft) white quadrupod monument; the light is
shown from a small platform about 10 m (33 ft) off the ground. Carlos
de Sousa has a photo,
a closeup is
available, and Google has a satellite
view and a distant street view. The monument was built atop the Serra de Carnaxide,
a rounded hill known informally as Mama Sul ("south breast").
As it happens, this conspicuous landmark is aligned with the
Barra do Sul channel for ships arriving in Lisbon, and in 1995
a directional light was added to the tower. Because of its great
height, the light can be seen for 21 nautical miles (39 km or
24 mi). Located in the Carnaxide neighborhood, about 4 km (2.5
mi) west northwest of Belém. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-025;
Admiralty D2127.15; NGA 3414.

1954 (station established 1914). Active; focal plane 31 m (102
ft); red light, 2 s on, 1 s off. 21 m (69 ft) round cylindrical
tower with lantern, gallery, and six vertical ribs. Tower painted
white; lantern and ribs painted red: from a distance the lighthouse
appears white with narrow vertical red stripes. Nuno Morão's photo is at right, Trabas has an excellent photo,
Aires dos Santos has a photo
taken from the land side, and Google has a street view and a satellite
view. The range guides ships through the passagem entre torres
(passage between towers) into the estuary of the Rio Tejo (Tagus)
and the harbor of Lisbon. The original lighthouse was destroyed
by the great Lisbon earthquake of 31 March 1952. Located on the
north bank of the Tejo in Oeiras about 8 km (5 mi) east northeast
of the Fortaleza de São Julião da Barra. Site open,
tower closed. ARLHS POR-022; PT-211; Admiralty D2127; NGA 3408.

1775 (station established at least by 1693). Active; focal plane 28 m (92
ft); green flash every 5 s. 14 m (46 ft) round stone tower with lantern
and gallery, rising in the center of a circular 16th century stone fort.
300 mm lens in use; the 3rd order Fresnel lens (1896) was removed in 1994.
Lighthouse painted white; lantern painted red. Trabas has a photo,
P.M. Oliveira has a 2007 photo,
Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a satellite
view. The fort is the Forte
de São Lourenço da
Cabeça
Seca, built on a small island in the center of the entrance to the
Rio Tejo (Tagus). Navigational lights were being displayed from the
fort in 1693, perhaps much earlier. The early light tower was destroyed
by the great earthquake of 1755. The island was transferred from the
army to the lighthouse department in 1945 and declared a national historic
site. Located about 2.8 km (1.75 mi) southeast of the Fortaleza de São
Julião da Barra. Accessible only by
boat or helicopter. Site and tower closed. ARLHS POR-005; PT-210; Admiralty
D2126; NGA 3404.

1775 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 39 m (128
ft); red light, 3 s on, 2 s off. 24 m (78 ft) square cylindrical masonry
tower with a castellated top and lantern. 4th order Fresnel lens (1895).
Tower is unpainted gray masonry; lantern painted white with a red roof.
Trabas has a fine closeup,
Marinas.com has aerial
photos,
and Google has a good satellite
view and a distant street view. This lighthouse and the Farol de Bugio (previous entry) define
the entrance to Lisbon, the passagem entre torres (passage between
towers) as Portuguese seamen call it. The 16th century Forte
de São Julião
da Barra guards the entrance to the Rio Tejo (Tagus) and was a key
to the defense of Lisbon for centuries. It is not known when navigational
lights were first displayed from the fort, but it is known that the light
tower had to be repaired following the great earthquake of 1755. The fort
now serves as the official residence of the Minister of State and Defense.
Located in the center of the fort, just off the Avenida Marginal at the
northern entrance to the Rio Tejo in Oeiras. Site and tower closed. ARLHS
POR-053; PT-206; Admiralty D2124; NGA 3400.

1868. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white or red light, depending
on direction, 4.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square masonry tower
with lantern and double gallery. Tower colored with blue and white
horizontal bands, lantern painted red. Fog horn (one 3 s blast every
10 s). Paula Sofia Simoes's photo is at right, Trabas has a good closeup,
Guyomard and Carceller have photos
by Eric Valenne, Marinas.com has aerial
photos, and Google has a satellite
view. This lighthouse serves general navigation and also serves
as the front light of the Barra do Norte Range, the Farol de Guia
being the rear light. The lighthouse was increased in height by
8 m (26 ft) in 1936 in order to make it more visible against an
increasingly crowded background. Huelse has a postcard
view of the lighthouse before it was extended. Adjacent to
the lighthouse are the ruins of the 17th century Forte de Santa
Marta. In 2000, the lighthouse department agreed to convey the
lighthouse to the city of Cascais for development of a historical
museum dedicated to both the fort and the lighthouse. Andreas
Köhler visited in
2009 and reports that a small museum on Portuguese lighthouses is
now open. Located on the south point of land in Cascais, adjacent
to a large marina. Site and museum open, tower closed. ARLHS
POR-052; PT-195; Admiralty D2118; NGA 3388.

1761 (station established 1537). Active; focal plane 58 m (190
ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off; red light, also 1 s on, 1 s off,
is shown along a range line to the east southeast, with the Farol
de Santa Marta (next entry) as the front light. 28 m (92 ft) tapered
octagonal stone tower with lantern and gallery. 3rd order Fresnel
lens (1879). The lighthouse is covered with white tiles except for
unpainted stone trim; lantern roof painted red. The keeper's houses
are in use as residences for staff of the lighthouse department
(Direcção
de Faróis). A photo by Rosa Cabecinhas and Alcino Cunha appears at the top of this
page, Lighthouse Explorer has a photo
by Diogo Monteiro, Guyomard and Carceller have several excellent photos
by Johan Buys, Marinas.com has aerial
photos, Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a street view and a satellite
view. This lighthouse is a beautiful and treasured example
of mid 18th century architecture. Monks of the monastery of Nossa
Senhora da Guia (Our Lady Guide) began displaying navigational
lights on this site in 1537, and the present lighthouse was built
after the great earthquake of 1755 largely destroyed the monastery.
For arriving ships it serves as a landfall light for Lisbon,
and for departing ships it is the rear light of a range that
indicates the proper course through the bar of the Tagus. The
lighthouse was extensively restored in 2002-03. Located directly
on the coastal road (N247) on the west side of Cascais. Site
open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-024; PT-192; Admiralty D2114; NGA
3389.

1915 (station established 1894). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); three
white flashes every 15 s. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower
with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1- and 2-story keeper's complex.
Lighthouse painted red. Fog horn (two 4 s blasts every 60 s). This is a typical French prefabricated tourelle.
Guyomard and Carceller have photos,
Trabas also has a good photo,
Marinas.com has aerial
photos,
Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a street view and a satellite
view. This lighthouse replaced a wooden tower. The original 5th order
lens was replaced by a 6th order lens in 1922 and then by a modern lens
in 2003. Cabo Raso marks a right-angle turn in the coastline at the northwestern
end of the bight of Lisbon. Located beside the N247 coastal highway on
a headland 8 km (5 mi) west of Cascais. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS
POR-011; PT-189; Admiralty D2110; NGA 3380.

1772. Active; focal plane 165 m (541 ft); four white flashes every
18 s. 22 m (72 ft) square stone tower, rising from a 1-story keeper's
complex. 3rd order Fresnel lens in use since 1946. Tower painted
white with unpainted stone trim; lantern painted red. João
Campos's photo is at right, Lighthouse Explorer has a good photo
by Paulo Domingos, Trabas has an excellent photo,
Guyomard and Carceller have many fine photos,
Marinas.com has aerial
photos, Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a satellite
view. This was the first Portuguese lighthouse built "from
scratch," although several earlier lights were installed
in existing buildings. Spain's Cabo Finisterre (see the Western
Galicia page) and Portugal's Cabo de São
Vicente (see above) may be more famous as western endpoints of Europe,
but Cabo
da Roca, the "Cape of the Rock" is actually
the westernmost point of the Eurasian continent (at 9° 29.8'
W). The Romans called the cape Promontorium Magnum--the Great Cape. In 1997 the town council of Sintra erected a plaque
at the lighthouse that reads in part, "Cabo da Roca: Onde
a terra se acaba e o mar começa" (Here ends the
land and begins the sea), a line from the famous poet Luís
de Camões.
Despite this geographical significance, the light here is not as
important to navigators as the lights of Cabo Carvoeiro to the
north and Cabo Raso to the south. As a result, the lighthouse was
long neglected; not until 1897 did it have a Fresnel lens, and
for the next 50 years it had only a fourth order lens. The station
is staffed by a crew of three keepers. It is surrounded by a national
park, the Parque
Natural de Sintra-Cascais. Located atop a spectacular
headland at Azóia,
about 12 km (7.5 mi) west of Sintra. Site open, lighthouse open on Wednesday afternoons. Accessible by road, and parking is provided. ARLHS
POR-007; PT-186; Admiralty D2108; NGA 3376.

Belém
(Doca de Bom Sucesso), a 20 m (66 ft) cylindrical concrete tower
with an open lantern and gallery near the Torre de Belém on the Lisbon waterfront.
This tower is floodlit at night, but it does not seem to be, or to have
ever been, an official aid to navigation. Google has a a street view and a satellite view.